Imperial Lychee Cake | Taiwanese Jade Lychee, Baked into a Pastry
From late May to mid-June, jade lychees ripen in Dashu, southern Taiwan. The harvest window is only two to three weeks—miss it, and you'll wait another year.
Over a thousand years ago, imperial couriers rode day and night to deliver fresh lychees to the Tang Dynasty palace. The poet Su Dongpo wrote, "If I could eat three hundred lychees a day, I'd happily live in the south forever."
We don't need horses anymore. We found another way to capture that flavor.
Farmers pick the fruit at dawn and rush it to us on ice. We select the plumpest ones, peel and pit them by hand, then slowly dry them into preserved lychee.
Once dried, the lychee is chopped and folded into the filling. The dough is rolled thin, wrapped, shaped, and baked.
One by one. No shortcuts.
Each bite releases the lychee's fragrance—sweet but not heavy, with a hint of bright acidity. Take a box home, and you'll remember Taiwan better than any photo.
Why "Imperial"?
Lychee has always been a prized fruit.
The season is short—just two to three weeks from late May to mid-June. Once picked, lychees spoil quickly. In ancient China, only royalty could taste them. The fruit earned the nickname "Concubine's Smile."
Jade lychee is considered the sweetest variety: small seed, thick flesh, intense sweetness. In Japanese supermarkets, lychees are sold by the piece as a luxury item.
We wanted to turn that flavor into something you could share.
Pineapple cakes are everywhere. After a while, they lose their novelty. Lychee cake is different—few people make it, and the people who receive it remember.
We named it "Imperial" because lychee has always carried that meaning. It's also a reminder to ourselves: make something worthy of the name.
Three Days and Three Nights
The dried lychee is the heart of this pastry.
Jade lychees are sweet and fleshy, but they're also full of moisture. Fresh fruit would make the pastry soggy. So we dry them low and slow, letting the water evaporate bit by bit while the sugars concentrate.
Three days and three nights. Turned every twelve hours.
After drying, we toast them again for half a day to lock in the flavor. There's no way to rush this. Cut corners, and the lychee turns sour or bitter—the delicate sweetness disappears.
The filling has a smooth, fine texture that doesn't overpower the lychee. Small pieces of dried fruit are folded in, so you get that satisfying chew in every bite.
The crust bakes to golden brown. Not the kind that crumbles into dust—this one is firm with a gentle give.
The First Bite
First, a light butteriness from the crust.
Then the filling's sweetness unfolds—not sugary-sweet, but mellow and rounded. The lychee flavor emerges next, with a touch of tartness that lifts everything.
Finally, you notice the texture: little pockets of chewy dried fruit. Proof that there's real lychee inside.
Pairs well with light tea—a high-mountain oolong or Baozhong works nicely. The tea's subtle flavor won't compete with the lychee's delicate sweetness. It's just as good on its own.
Where We Sell
Our lychee cake launched in Japan in 2025.
You can find it at Marui Department Store in Yokohama and Mizonokuchi. Eslite Spectrum in Nihonbashi carries it too. Kintetsu Department Store and Keio Department Store in Shinjuku are coming soon.
That same year, we exhibited at the International Gift Show in Tokyo. Taiwan's representative to Japan, Frank Hsieh, stopped by our booth. The LIFESTYLE Week official website featured our lychee cake first in their Taiwan Pavilion food special.
For most people outside Asia, fresh lychee is hard to find. A pastry that captures its flavor makes for an unexpected gift from Taiwan.
When to Give It
- Traveling abroad: Lychee is a rare treat in Japan, Korea, Europe, and the Americas—it makes an impression
- Business gifts: Something distinctive that people will remember
- Holiday visits: A fresh alternative to the usual gifts
- Treat yourself: Perfect with afternoon tea—three cakes per box, just enough for one or two
Storage & Serving
Storage
- Keeps 180 days at room temperature
- Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight
- Once opened, best consumed within 3 days
Serving Tips
- No refrigeration needed—enjoy at room temperature for the best flavor
- Pairs well with light tea like high-mountain oolong or Baozhong
- Three cakes per box—perfect for one, easy to share with two
Product Details
| Ingredients | Pineapple paste (pineapple, maltose, sugar, palm oil, corn starch, citric acid, pineapple flavor, salt), wheat flour, butter (milk fat, water), powdered sugar (sugar, corn starch), dried lychee, egg, milk powder, glucose, citric acid, lychee flavor, salt |
| Contents | 3 cakes × 35g each |
| Net Weight | 105g |
| Box Dimensions | 154 × 137 × 33 mm |
| Shelf Life | 180 days at room temperature |
| Dietary Info | Lacto-ovo vegetarian |
| Origin | Taiwan |
FAQ
How is this different from pineapple cake? +
The filling is different. Our lychee cake contains real pieces of dried lychee, giving it a lighter, more refreshing taste.
Is it vegetarian? +
Yes, lacto-ovo vegetarian. Contains dairy and eggs, no meat.
How long does it keep? Does it need refrigeration? +
180 days at room temperature. No refrigeration required. Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Once opened, consume within 3 days.
